and p.s. ....send me a proof reader >

I just read what I posted.......damn....sorry for all the type-o's.......I'll take the "it's late and I'm tired" card....if that will serve as an excuse :) I'll slip in a crappy watch pic for fun...so you won't notice the spelling issues. :) :)
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and a random pic for fun......two things I can't, and one to tempt....
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Stay tuned...next week...or maybe tomorrow >

it's Pad Thai.......I had planned on doing it tonight, but the store plotted against me....so maybe tomorrow, and this recipe is one I've never cooked before and was suggested by a friend....he'll not be able to taste it for me, but I hope to do it justice either way.........cheers, greg

mid January and what to say?

I'm glad I posted some watch pix, and should post more. This is the fat guy spot, but I do need to bore people with other things as well. I find it amazing....if I stop buying watches....the prices drop. I honestly think I can control the $$ = whatever by my watch buying...just wait...I'll want to buy nothing overseas...Swiss, Asian, anywhere..the dollar will gain value...just wait and see.
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I can't say I've been really inventive in the kitchen lately either......I've been cooking, but I've been trying to trim down my cooking.....maybe it'l be the diary of a skinny guy :).......maybe... Our dryer did die recently....and I did get to see what an arc flash looks like in person...now I know why it makes the testes of electricians crawl up and out of sight.........it was impressive, if not right damn scary. There is another unwanted, yet necessary purchase....anyway...
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lets cut some poultry.....shall we?....I do love some chicken...or turkey, game hens.....hell, I'd eat a penguin if I had one.....let's keep it simple....start with a mortar and pestle and about two tb's of black pepper corns. Fresh pepper is always better in my opinion.
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now, well add some herbs...nice flavor...some rosemary, thyme and sage, give those a quick chop,
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and toss them in with the cracked pepper from before, add a bit of oil and a good bit of salt, and beat them till they look like lawn clippings....like so...
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Now...we'll deal with the chicken....I decided to butterfly this bird....why not? Ltes start with the backbone....it's easy to locate, and I usually run a knife down it, to give myself a good line to follwo..
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Following said line, remove the backbone of the bird....it's easy with shears...kinda noisy..but easy..like said..... >
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With the back out, we'll help with the cooking time. Make cuts into the thigh joints, and under the wings....this will help prevent that odd pink meat that nobody wants, and go ahead and trim off the ends of the legs, it makes for a better presentation, though I'm not one for presentation....
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OK...now, flip that bird....and give it a nice chop down the breat bone, that will seperate it and let the bird lay flat.....nice and flat.
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Now...take the lawn clippings from before and smear the bird, front and back......get it all in there..al the nooks and such.....
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and this is where I'll leave you.......create from here.......:)...no.......throw that bird in the oven at about 425 (skin up) for about 15 minutes, then drop the heat to 325 for another 20 minutes, then flip the bird, and put back into the oven for another 20 minutes...or till it hit an internal temp ot 160....take out and cover with foil, and it'll hit 170 in about 10 minutes......carve and enjoy, and adjust as necessary...please submit feedback......cheers and enjoy. greg

first post of the new year...2009 style,

like roy batty, minus the sheep, hitting the cat nip with the fish lips........well...in all honesty, I hope to make this year better than the last..although 08 was pretty good. I plan to focus more on working for others, but not for pay....in a way. I plan to not buy a single watch till today in 2009....yeah, that's right, it's a forum thing, but I want to be the guy that makes it....and whatever I tuck back for said watches over the year will, in the end become an insane watch purchase....can we say Blancpain...fifty fathoms???....lets keep those fingers crossed that I can save that kind of cash in the coming year, and it that doesn't work, I'll invest and if we're not displaced by then, I'm sure that cash will come in handy for a down payment on a house.
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So, the church across the street is likely to turn my crib into a parking deck....yep, rancho relaxo will be first floor of baptist car central.....I'm not pleased or impressed, but they bought the house next door for above market, and surveyed the block the day after closing...orange paint and stakes everywhere. They also offered several grand to get the people out of the house a little faster...so, all signs point to.."duck and cover greg"
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on the cooking front, I'm looking into two properties that would be usable as restaurants, well, one would be a better butcher shop. I'm really not looking to buy, I'm just feeling out the market.
I have a few new tricks and recipes to post, nothing really amazing, but here in the south, we do love some fried okra. I came up with a really great okra that tastes fried, but isn't....eat all you like and not worry, cause it's not fried, and barely enough oil to notice. I also have a chilled corn soup working (not sure about it though), and I found that parm works well with...squash?...yep, it does work...the crispy, salty flavor on the squash is great.
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That about covers it short term, and I hope you'll come back often and offer suggestions. I also set up mobile blogging, so I might clutter the pages with random daily pics and thoughts....who knows.

Cheers and enjoy....
a parting pic, of 3 straps made for me by Johnny T in cali, all from some Doc Martins boots I had....spend 5 years breaking in the leather, and the straps come out like butter. :)

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test

let's take stock...stock in what?.......chicken works >

Really stocks are easy, and one of the best investments in your kitchen. I'll present a pictorial walk through of the basics of a stock. I chose chicken, simply because I can get 3lbs of chicken backs for less the 3 $$....point being, lots of dark meat connected to bone, which equals lots of good, rich flavor.
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I took said chicken bits and set them under the broiler for a bit, to get them browned.....get the juices flowing...
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I then take a basic bit of veg, standard to most any stock....carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and sage this time...adjust as needed..or to taste..whatever fits your needs or tastes...
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lets break that down...it doesn't need to be neat or uniform...but I feel the greater the surface area, the better the flavor.
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now...basically throw everything into a stock pot, cover with water, bring to boil, back off to simmer and let it simmer for a few hours.....
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now...this bit differs from person to person...but I'll let it cool and set in the fridge overnight, then bring to a boil once again the next night. I'll then strain and put in usable containers. After it's in the fridge, it'll stay good for a few weeks with the fat on top, but less than two, if you skim the fat off, but will last several months if frozen right away. It's an easy way to get several weeks of stock, and a right tasty chicken sandwich to boot.
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Cheers and enjoy......we'll play with goat cheese next time... :)greg

Holidays, comfort food and other ramblings.

On the watch front, nothing especially new or impressive. I still have a stack of projects on the table, and might have time in the new year to get some stuff finished up and off the table.
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Still employed, to my surprise. The cutbacks were endless, and promise to be deeper in the new year.
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The holidays went off without a hitch. I have to say, this has been one of the more enjoyable in years. Got to relax and enjoy family and friends....and if you can't do that, then what's the point?.
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So....comfort food? Food that comforts, and that makes me think, potato soup. Never having done before, I attempted potato soup, to great success if I may say so. I'm usually not a fan of fancy presentation, with tidy little stacks, and smears of tasty color, or odd ribbons of goo from squirt bottles......so, potato soup served in the baked potato it was made from, complete with bacon, cheese and sour cream......of course.
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Being the holidays, I felt turkey and dressing need to be on the menu at least once. I decided to give it some greg though. I took turkey breasts and rolled them with a home made cornbread "stuffing". I used the ribs from the breasts to make a nice rich gravy. Fresh green beans and a butternut squash mash completed a very good meal.....just a bit different from the original, but a successful concept none the less.
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a before shot, just cause I can.
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Happy holidays, Merry Christmas and happy new year kids...cheers and enjoy.
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next time, we'll see just how easy a stock really is.